Into the Ocean
by NowComesTheNight
Summary: AU. Renji would do anything for his nieces and nephew, even if it meant diving feet first into the darkest depths of the ocean. A 2-3 part fic. Full summery inside. First part is Renji centric. Will eventually be a ByaIchi. Themes are fantasy, drama, family, and romance.
1. Part one, Chapter one

**A/N**: This story will consist of at least two parts. This is the first part and it will focus on Renji and his life with his family and how everything changed for him. It will also serve to set the backdrop for the whole story and explain the world all the characters live in. It could possibly be as many as 10 chapters long, but I will try to make it as short as possible while still conveying all pertinent information. It must be done though, because without this part much of the second part would be hard to explain without multiple flashbacks and explanations halting the story. Though you won't see Byakuya at all until part two, this is a ByaIchi and it will eventually head that way, so please be patient. Themes are mainly fantasy, drama, family, and romance.

This story is set in a present day, alternate universe and is a meld between Bleach and my own universe that has been in my head since I was a child and has grown up with me. This pretty much means that it is a very in-depth world on its own, though adding some characteristics from Bleach has significantly changed the majority of it... Oh well, you'll see eventually...

BEWARE, I'm about to bore all of you with pseudo-science and impossible medical mumbo jumbo. Please let me know if there is something I didn't explain well enough or if it was simply too tedious to be enjoyable. Also, be warned that many of the characters may be a little OOC, though I did my best to get as close as I could within the perimeters of my plot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, it is owned by Kubo-sensei and all other affiliated parties. The title "Into the Ocean" is taken from the title to a Blue October song. I also do not own any rights to this song or album, it just seemed to fit the mood. This story, however, is from my imagination, so please give me that much credit at least.

XoxoxoX

Chapter One- Insight

"Uncle Renji!"

Renji Abarai looked over at his 8 year old nephew as he practically flew towards him from the other side of the small yard. The vibrant, orange tone of his hair was almost outmatched by the bright smile stretched across his face and the excited gleam that lit his warm, brown eyes. His younger, twin sisters chased after him, squealing with delight. Renji loved his nieces and nephew with every breath within him. They were rambunctious and mischievous little devils, but they were so happy and excited about life that he couldn't help but feel that same infectious spirit within himself.

"What's up, kiddo?" Renji asked as he squatted in front of the young boy, as was their usual routine when playing.

"Look it." Ichigo demanded as he thrust his hands, right over left, a little less than arms length in front of him. A small chuckle bubbled out of Renji at his nephew's sudden scowl and look of intense concentration. The boy shot his uncle a little glare and Renji clamped a hand firmly over his mouth to show that he wouldn't make any more noise.

Ichigo returned his focus to his hands and closed his eyes. He inhaled, through his nose, long and deep, then exhaled, through his mouth, sharp and quick. As the abrupt flow of his breath reached his hands, there was a soft, electric sounding crackle before a small, white spark lit between his outstretched palms. Renji's eyes widened as more sparks cracked to life and tiny, delicate tendrils of electric light stretched and wove together intricately. Once the strands completed a circuit, an electric, pure white butterfly formed and fluttered away for his sisters, Karin and Yuzu, to chase in joy. Renji fell back on his rear, stunned, and watched as the bright light drifted away lazily. It was...

"I made yours and Mommy's butterflies!" Ichigo pointed at his creation with pride.

...An Impulse Butterfly.

Renji was completely baffled as he watched his nephew make more glowing butterflies for his sisters to bound after in their small backyard. It wasn't that he'd never seen an Impulse Butterfly before, on the contrary, they were quite a common phenomenon in large cities. When two people with the right type of opposing energy signatures come in close contact the reactive particles bounce off each other and create a charged energy field. Once this occurs, an outside force, such as a breeze or a third energy field, disrupts the charged field and creates an electrical current that winds itself into the approximate shape of a butterfly. This was called an unconscious energy shift and it happens in the span of a second. Through trial and error over the course of many centuries, people had learned how to control such shifts and perfect them.

Even as someone who had only spent a short amount of time learning the delicate balance of science and intuition that was energy shifting, Renji understood how it worked. All matter, visible or not, living or not, is comprised of energy. While anyone is capable of 'shifting', or manipulating, the varying types of energy, not everyone could. According to recent statistics, about one in every hundred people are capable of sensing energy and one in every thousand are capable of manipulation. Of these people, some were far more talented then others and understood the concepts easier, excelling quicker. There are seven categories of energy shifting, ordered by level of difficulty: Unconscious, Kinetic, Energy Field Manipulation, Absorption and Redirection, Expansion and Contraction, External Particle Manipulation, and, the most difficult shift, Internal Particle Manipulation. Many could master a single type of energy shift, fewer could master multiple types, and, in very rare cases, a person could master all. But, it took time and discipline to learn the properties and structures of these energies, much like a scientist would need to understand molecular and atomic compounds before they could create a proper chemical reaction. That an eight year old, who'd never had any kind of training, could figure out how to create two opposing poles of energy, concentrate them between his palms and then know he had to add a third element to get the reaction he wanted was completely impossible. Or so Renji had thought before he watched Ichigo do just that.

"Masaki... Masaki! Masaki!" Renji shouted once the shock wore off.

"What's wrong!" Masaki asked, alarmed, as she ran out of the house with a potato and peeler clutched in her hands. The look of panic that fell across her gentle features instantly had Renji feeling a little guilty for over reacting.

"Don' worry, nothin' bad happened... But look!" He pointed to where Ichigo was playing with Karin and Yuzu.

Masaki followed Renji's line of sight and blinked in surprise when she noticed the sheer amount of Impulse Butterflies in her backyard. Once the shock wore off, she huffed in exasperation and threw her arms out to the side, "Little brother! I swear, if you ever scare me like that again... and over somethin' so... so..." she gestured erratically at the scene in an attempt to express its insignificance.

Renji picked himself up off the ground and walked over to his elder sister's side. "No, look. And I mean really look." He said, focusing back on Ichigo just as he made another butterfly. "That isn' an unconscious shift." His voice was beginning to take on an excited tone. "That's Energy Field Manipulation."

He was smiling like an idiot now, he was sure of it. Adrenaline was surging through him and he felt like he wanted to jump up and down, or dance, or... something! Looking over at Masaki, Renji could feel his grin faltering at her accusing eyes.

She clenched her hands around the items she held before placing her fists on her hips and asked, "Renji... Have you been teachin' my eight year old how to shift energy?" Her voice was low and cold, and Renji knew from experience that it meant very bad things were about to happen. "You of all people should know how dangerous that is at his age!" Though her tone was hushed, the anger behind her words was very clear.

Renji could understand his sister's anger. Children in Soul Society were often born with severe internal energy imbalances that strained their bodies and, as a consequence, many developed serious heart, nervous system, and lung related illnesses. In fact, it was so common that he and Masaki had had three siblings that passed away in direct relation to those illnesses. It was for this reason that it was forbidden to teach even healthy young children how to shift energy lest they aggravate those imbalances.

Renji held his hands up in surrender as he backed away from his sister a step. "I swear I didn' teach him anythin'! You know I'd never do that! Especially since he was so sick when he was a baby!" And that's what this was really about. Renji knew that Masaki was worried more because Ichigo had been in and out of hospitals as an infant. The complications had kept piling up and the doctors had thought his imbalance was too severe to survive. However, all of his health problems simply vanished one day and Ichigo was left completely healthy and happy at three years old. The sudden turn had everyone completely baffled. Renji had only been a child himself, but he remembered that feeling, that overwhelming joy and relief, as he watched his nephew run and play without hindrance for the first time. "I'd never risk that, not even for the twins, though they weren' ever sick."

Confusion furrowed Masaki's brow as she turned her attention back to Ichigo. "Then... how?"

"I don' know." He noted his sister's expression change to something he couldn't name as she watched her children play.

"Oh, I should get back to what I was doing!" She said, her attitude lightening suddenly. Masaki turned and went back into the house, leaving Renji a little stunned at her response. He had expected many kinds of reactions from his sister, but complete dismissal was not one of them.

He turned back to his nieces and nephew, paying careful attention to Ichigo's movements. As he made yet another butterfly, Renji noted his fluidity. His nephew's creations were made with concise, strong, and confident movements that seemed to take little conscious effort. The two poles never conflicted. They never faulted, collapsed or exploded.

How?

Before, Renji had gotten so excited over the prospect of Ichigo being a talented Shifter that he didn't consider how it was possible. In truth, he'd never heard of a person who could learn how to shift before being taught the basics. He'd heard of prodigies who excelled through their classes at unprecedented rates, or who were given special permission to start learning to shift at a young age because they were extremely intuitive to energy fields. However, no matter how gifted, none had ever learned how to shift without instruction. Creating Impulse Butterflies was a pretty basic skill, but there was no one around, besides Renji himself, who could have instructed Ichigo. What was most unnerving, though, was the ease with which he shifted the energy. Like there was no thought involved. As if it were as natural as breathing...

"Hey, Ichigo!" Renji called out. The orange haired boy paused what he was doing to look at his uncle. Renji gestured for him to come closer and Ichigo walked over a little nervously.

"What's wrong?" He asked, unsure.

"Hey, no worries, I'm not mad. I just wanna know how you learned to make those butterflies."

"I watched you and Mommy make them. That day we went to the park. And then I could do it too." His nephew answered simply.

Renji knew what day Ichigo spoke of. He and Masaki had naturally opposing internal energy fields that sometimes resulted in the creation of Impulse Butterflies. Last Saturday, when they brought the children to play, he and Masaki had reached for a dropped ball at the same time and a spark flashed between them. An Impulse Butterfly fluttered away catching the attention of Yuzu and Karin, who chased after it with peals of delighted laughter. Ichigo had only watched. However, this didn't answer Renji's question.

"I know you saw it, but how did you learn. Did someone tell you how?" He asked again.

Ichigo shook his head 'no'.

Renji sighed and frowned, puzzled. "Did you figure it out yourself?"

His nephew smiled brightly and bounced a little bit with enthusiasm. "Yes!"

He scratched his head as he tried to piece together the mystery. There was a niggling sensation in the back of Renji's mind telling him that he really didn't want to know, but at the same time he had to. "How'd you figure it out, Ichigo?" He prompted.

The excited bouncing stopped as Ichigo looked at him in confusion. "Don't you know? I know you make them too. Can't you see it?"

Renji felt dread sink low and heavy in the pit of his stomach. Dropping into a squat in front of the young boy, he looked Ichigo in the eye before asking, "You can see it?"

His nephew nodded in answer.

Looking around, Renji picked a small, yellow buttercup hiding amidst the grass and held it up. "Do you see it like you see this?" He asked, suspecting that the answer was a bit more complicated then the eight year old expressed.

"No..." As the young boy pointed a finger to a spot dead center on his forehead, Ichigo continued, "I see it here." He dropped his hand back down to his side, cocked his head in confusion and asked, "Don't you?"

"No." Renji replied defeatedly as he sat back on the ground.

He had been worried that Ichigo would answer in just this way. When a Soul shifted energy, they had to play a bit of a guessing game. They could sense different types of energy fields and, sometimes, even the particle movement within, but how to distinguish one from another and what was compatible with what came after much trial and error. No one could see these fields and know them as separate bodies in a distinct way. It was something different, unusual, and unknown. Renji felt momentary panic as he realized just what questions these kinds of "unknowns" could bring up. Suddenly, Masaki's dismissal and abrupt departure made complete sense.

"Uncle Renji... Is there something wrong with me?" Ichigo asked, sensing his uneasiness.

The unsure voice snapped Renji out of his thoughts and he looked to his nephew. Those warm, brown eyes shimmered with suppressed tears and wariness, making the red head feel guilty.

"Absolutely not!" He said as he swept the boy into a strong embrace. "Listen to me, there is nothin wrong with you, Ichigo. You're just... unique." He pulled back and kissed his nephew on the forehead before looking him in the eye. "Do you understand?"

Ichigo nodded his head with a little smile, wiping at his eyes.

"But..." Renji cautioned. "You have to promise me that you won' tell anyone that you can see energy shifts or shift energy outside anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you're bright and unique," he said as he ran his large hand through Ichigo's soft, orange hair, "and not everyone likes that. Ok?"

"Okay!" His nephew giggled with his usual enthusiasm. "I'll tell Tensa Zangetsu not to say anything either!"

Renji chuckled lightly as Ichigo spoke of his imaginary friend. "Alright, you tell him to not flap that loud mouth of his."

The young boy looked affronted at his Uncle's flippant statement. "Tensa Zangetsu's never been loud! He is calm and quiet and smart!" Ichigo declared proudly.

"Fine, fine." Renji said as he held his hands up in surrender. "Just go and play with your sisters."

With that, the boy flew off in another burst of energy. The joking smile slipped off Renji's face as Ichigo left and he looked back to the small house. He got up and walked inside through the glass sliding door, determined to speak with his sister.

The house, like many of the houses in Hanging Dog, was small and cramped for a family of their size. As Renji entered, he was staring directly into the living space and to his right was the kitchen. If he continued to walk through the living room there would be a hallway on his left that led to the bathroom and three, small bed rooms. Everything was located on one floor and, though there was a basement, it was tiny, not furbished, and only housed Masaki's washer and dryer. The house smelled of exotic spices and deep, rich earth, and felt warm against the crisp, early spring weather as Renji closed the door behind him, instantly reminding him of his childhood.

He and Masaki's mother had died when Renji was only nine years old due to a long term illness. Instead of allowing her brother to go to an orphanage, Masaki and her new husband, Isshin, offered to raise him. That first year had been difficult, since Renji, in his grief, decided to be a complete brat and act out in school; getting into fights, cutting class, and skipping assignments. However, Masaki had handled everything Renji could throw at her with a firm, yet gentle grace, while Isshin, in all his goofiness and upbeat persona, slowly, and begrudgingly, became the father figure he'd never had. The fiery ten year old he'd been was already beginning to calm down when Ichigo was born. His illness had been such a hard blow to the small family that Renji found himself wanting to cause less trouble, and even looking for ways he could help out. Despite all of the trials those early years were heavy with, the young man could not look back with anything other then fondness, because Renji had felt safe, secure, and a sense of belonging that he'd never experienced before, even while living with his real mother. If he was asked, Renji would say that he considered Masaki and Isshin his parents.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he continued on to the kitchen where Masaki was cutting the last potato. Her body moved with the motion, the long skirt of her dress swaying slightly. Renji leaned back against the small table, that would just barely fit the five diners, as his sister finished putting the root in the pot of water on the stove beside her and set the burner to 'high'. She moved over to the sink where there was a stainless steel strainer filled with green beans and turned on the tap to rinse them. Abruptly, Masaki stopped what she was doing, just staring out the little window. Renji followed her gaze and noticed that it was settled on Ichigo. The boy was, oddly, standing stock still in the center of the yard, staring out into the distance where the once clear, blue sky was beginning to cloud over.

"Masaki..."

"My children are normal." Masaki cut him off with a voice so terse, stern and unlike his sister that it stunned Renji. "There is nothin' wrong with them."

"I never suggested they weren' normal or that there was somethin' wrong. It never even crossed my mind." Renji said defensively. The problem was what everyone else might think, and that was what Renji truly worried about. Masaki simply ignored him and continued to rinse the green beans. "Did Isshin ever say anything? You know... Before he disappeared."

Renji knew that that subject was a hard one to bring up. It had been almost four years since Isshin had been seen or heard from. He had simply left one night on an errand Masaki sent him on, promised Ichigo he would be back for a bedtime story, and never came back. There was never any clue what may have happened to him, and not even his car was found. Had it been any other man in the world, Renji would have believed that he had simply abandoned them, but Isshin was not that kind of person. There was nothing he cared for more then his family; Masaki, Ichigo, his, at the time, unborn babies, and he, Renji, was worth more to this man then anything even God in Heaven could provide. Even if Renji didn't believe in God, he believed at least that much. Considering all of the pain that would be dredged up by his questions, Renji knew his sister would not want to talk about it. However, he had to ask.

"Are you sure going into the Royal Guard is a good idea?" Masaki asked abruptly before pulling the green beans out of the sink and resting them on the counter top. "You know it's five years of your life that you are never gonna get back."

He sighed in exasperation at Masaki's avoidance, but decided to let it go for now since Renji didn't want to upset his sister. "You know it's the only way for me to go to school. Yamamoto Academy is way too expensive for us." He started, knowing this would lead to yet another debate over how he chose to go about his schooling.

While there were many different schools he could have gone to, including a local one, none of them had courses solely focused on energy shifting. Yamamoto Academy was an extremely prestigious private school and was founded by the Captain-Commander of the Royal Guard divisions. Not only did it offer the best instruction in understanding and controlling energy, it also allowed students to attend free if they made a five year commitment to the Guard. It wouldn't be an easy task to work in the military at lower pay then typical inductees, but it was the only way and Renji even welcomed the challenge.

"It won' be so bad. Hell it may even be fun!" Renji replied enthusiastically. He'd been attending the school since he was sixteen, the youngest age they would except without express permission from a doctor specialized in energy stability, and felt the physical training was some of his most engaging and invigorating classes.

"Fun?" Masaki asked incredulously. She stopped snapping the ends off her green beens and whipped around to face him. "People _die_ in the Royal Guard. Especially new recruits, and for what? Glory? Pride?" She grew more agitated the more she spoke. "If you wanted to learn to expand your talent with shifting energy, I could have found a way to pay for private instruction. But, no! You wanna run off and play war hero with the stupid Shinigami, who start meaningless wars with Arrancar and treat *Mar-O' children like worthless animals! Ignorant Soul Reapers!" With that, Masaki violently turned off the boiling pot of potatoes and went back to the green beens.

Renji blinked in astonishment. Never before had he heard his sister use derogatory words like Shinigami or Soul Reaper. Such words implied brutality, that Guardsmen kill indiscriminately without hesitation or remorse. It was a ruthless and hurtful expression, and even Renji himself felt a little offended. He didn't even know Masaki held animosity towards the Royal Guard. Then again, it was possible she was just a little worked up over his prodding questions earlier.

"I just..." He started, not sure what to say. "I coulda taken private instruction, but... I just wanna be around kids my age who are like me. Who can sense energy and manipulate it like me. I just didn' wanna be different for once."

Masaki's shoulders sagged as she sighed dejectedly. She walked over to her little brother and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "You're not different, your like me." She said soothingly.

"It's not the same." Renji countered.

"I know, but you don't have to feel like your alone."

"I don'..." He said. Suddenly, a sly smirk spread across his mouth. "At least not while I'm at school."

Masaki huffed and threw her arms in the air. "Fine! Go ahead and join the Guard." She said playfully. "It's not like it matters anymore, you're graduating soon." Her expression softened and turned apologetic. "I didn't mean what I said before. This all just makes me really nervous. I love you and I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"I know and I don' intend to." He said with a wicked grin. Pushing off the table, Renji walked over to the sink and looked out the window. While The twins were playing something that involved Karin carrying a large, inflatable ball with Yuzu chasing after her clumsily, Ichigo stood exactly where he had been since Renji had come inside except the boy was now staring at his feet. "I wonder what it is he's seein'?" He wondered as he thought about their conversation earlier. Renji was both curious and amused by Ichigo's antics.

Masaki leaned over to peer outside as well. "I don't know." She said with a little shrug. "He's always been a bit spacey."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder reverberated through the sky. "Can you get the little ones in Renji?" Masaki asked. "Dinner will be ready soon anyway."

Renji nodded and went to open the sliding door. "Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu! Let's get inside before y'all get wet!" He hollered as the first rain drops began to fall.

The three kids' attention snapped to their Uncle and Yuzu and Ichigo began walking over to him. However, Karin simply stood where she was, not ready to come inside yet. "I'snot that bad." She protested as she squat back down to grab her ball.

Just as he was about to step out and grab her himself, Renji saw Ichigo run back over to his sister. "The storm's gonna get bad, Karin. Come on." He said as he reached down and grabbed her by the wrist. Karin pouted, but allowed her big brother to pull her to her feet, her short dark hair swishing with the movement. Once all three children were inside, Renji slid the door closed and locked it for the night.

"Wait!" Yuzu squealed, upset, as she walked up to the door and put her hands on the cold glass.

"What's wrong, honey?" Masaki asked from where she stood in the door frame.

"My dolly! She'll get dirty!" She said, pointing out to where the curly haired doll lay on the grass. Her eyes were wide with worry as she looked over to her mother and Renji.

"Don' worry squirt, I'll get it." Renji said as he tugged on her pigtail and pushed her aside so he could open the door.

"No!" Renji jumped, startled at the sudden shout and the hands that latched themselves to his pant leg. "Don't go outside!" Ichigo cried.

"What's wrong buddy?" Renji asked, looking down at his nephew.

No sooner had the words left his mouth then there was a bright flash and a loud, resounding crack of thunder as lightning struck the backyard. Renji jumped back and stumbled a little in surprised shock as the twins burst into wails. Masaki quickly moved from where she stood and wrapped her two daughters in a firm embrace, trying to calm them with hushing sounds and gentle words. The trembling hands clenched in the fabric of his pants had Renji glancing down at his nephew. Ichigo's face was buried against his leg as the frightened boy shook. The only thing Renji could think to do in his own shock was run a soothing hand through the wild, orange hair.

"Well then," Masaki said as she stood, catching everyone's attention, "that was surprising wasn't it? But look! No one's hurt! Everyone's fine!" She finished cheerily, only to have four solemn faces blinking at her in bewilderment. Sighing in frustration, she tried to think of something to ease the tension. A sudden thought popped into her mind and she smiled. "You know, the weather does weird things all the time. Like..." Masaki stopped speaking for a moment to gently touch her fingertips to her lips and tilt her head upwards slightly. Pausing only to glance at the suddenly excited young children and the smugly grinning red-head, she moved her hand away from her mouth with a quick snap and twist of the wrist while simultaneously blowing out long and languidly. Renji felt goosebumps rise on his skin and the hair on his arms stand on end as he sensed the atmosphere in the hallway change. Soon, white, puffy flakes appeared out of nowhere and floated gently down to the floor. "Snow inside the house." Masaki finished as Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu seemed to snap out of there reticent behavior, happily dancing in the snowy hallway.

Renji laughed out as Masaki moved closer to him. The two siblings looked on as the three children attempted to catch the falling flakes, Ichigo using his tongue. For some reason, the fact that his nephew still felt awe and wonder for energy shifts made Renji feel relieved.

"That was a good idea." He said to his sister.

"I just remembered that making you very happy and calm on a few occasions." Masaki replied with a satisfied smile.

"It's still my favorite." Renji smiled back as he lifted his hands up, feeling the cold, wet flakes melt on contact with his skin. "I wish I could do somethin' like this." He said a little forlornly.

"Don't be that way." Masaki said softly. "This is all I can do, but you..." She waited until Renji was looking back at her. "You can do just about anything if you tried."

Renji huffed a little at his sister's statement and concentrated on the falling snow. He knew the theory behind it; sense the water particles in the energy field (or join two hydrogen and one oxygen particles if need be), condense them, then rapidly slow their movement until they crystallize. If you didn't do that quickly and accurate enough, you would end up with rain, gas, or just buckets of water falling down. "Slow things down, speed things up, break things apart. No matter how hard I try, I can't sense particle movement in an energy field. Even if all you can do is make snow, at least you can do it. External particle manipulation is a rare ability."

Masaki blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you." After the last flake of snow fell, she turned to her children and said, "Now let's get to the kitchen! Dinner is almost ready!"

Renji followed after his family, feeling completely content.

XoxoxoX

The storm let up, dinner was finished, and Renji found himself outside and standing by the edge of the plateau as the sun began to set. Hanging Dog certainly was an aptly named town, considering that it was built on a large, mostly flat out cropping ledge of a mountainside. Rukongai, the poorer section of soul society, was set in the Rukon Mountain Range and most of its cities and towns were built in mountains or valleys. However, Hanging Dog was unlike the other little towns because the homes, businesses, and schools were built right up to the cliffside without any high walls for protection, only sturdy barriers made of energy shields. It is said by many in Rukongai that people from this little town were born fearless. Renji snorted at the thought, as he laid his hand against the invisible barrier, the energy formed like solid glass. People here feared things here just like any other place, they just weren't afraid of falling.

Renji watched the sunset from his high perch at the cliff, drinking in the beauty of the reds and oranges splashing against the rocky terrain of the mountain range. As much as he enjoyed his school in Seireitei, the more groomed grounds, the rush of the city life, the fact that there was so much to do close by, he always felt a little pang of regret for leaving this raw beauty behind.

"Uncle Renji!" Also, for leaving his family behind.

"What's up Ichigo?" He turned and asked his nephew. The strap of his duffle bag dug into his shoulder as he moved away from the ledge and gave Ichigo a questioning look.

"Do you have to leave? Already?"

"Yeah, sorry kid." He said as he ran a hand through the boy's orange hair. "It takes almost a whole day to get back to school from here."

"Can't you just read me one more story?" Ichigo pleaded.

"No, sorry. The train leaves pretty soon and I hafta get the bus to the next town to make it." He replied as he shifted the bag on his shoulder and took Ichigo's hand, walking him back to the house.

Renji could tell Ichigo was still upset about him leaving, but the boy didn't say another word in protest. As he began the walk to the bus station at the edge of town, he turned back to see Masaki, his nieces, and nephew all standing out on the front lawn watching him walk away. He raised his hand and gave them a final wave goodbye, which they all returned enthusiastically, before turning back to the road ahead of him.

Had Renji realized that this would be the last time he would see his family whole and healthy, he would not have continued walking away.

XoxoxoX

* I have not explained who Mar-O' are or the controversy surrounding them yet, I didn't want to try to add yet another thing to this chapter as it seemed to drag on as it was. They are integral to the plot line for both parts, so they will be introduced soon.

So... This was a long and challenging chapter to produce as most of it was explanations and character introductions. Hopefully things will go smoothly from here, but I can't guarantee that all of my chapters will be as long. Sorry if the end seemed a little bit rushed, I just wanted to get it done and posted. Also, when you picture the scenery of Hanging Dog, I want you to picture something like Orvieto in Italy. The only difference is that Orvieto sits on a flat plateau of volcanic butte and Hanging Dog is actually on a large cliff side.

Below is a snippet for the second chapter just to get you interested. Part of it is already written, but it still needs some work, so I don't know when I will be able to post it.

See you next time!

_Abstract For Next Chapter 'Happy Birthday'_

_"Telephone." Ichigo said distractedly._

_Masaki's brow furrowed questioningly. "Wha-"_

_A shrill ring caught her off guard causing her to jump, startled. Ichigo giggled at her reaction, looking at her with mischievous eyes. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder and smiled with a quiet "brat" on her lips before corralling him out into the hallway. After instructing him to get his and his sisters' coats, she finally picked up the incessant phone from the hallway table._

_"Hello?" She asked politely._

_"Found you." Said a smooth voice that sent a chill down her spine so cold it stole her breath. She knew this voice, it was _his_ voice_.


	2. Part 1, Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Happy Birthday

A/N: Hey everyone! I tried really hard to get this second chapter out quickly so you all could see the plot starting to move. While I do have to do some more info/introduction in this chapter, there will be some real plot advancement. ByaIchi is a small fandom, but it is my favorite paring and I would like to be one of the people to add to it. I know it doesn't look like one right now, but it will be!

Disclaimer: I do not own any rights to Bleach or 'Into the Ocean'. They belong to their respective artists and affiliated companies and organizations. This plot and universe, however, is mine.

XoxoxoX

One month later

XoxoxoX

"Ichigo!" Masaki shouted as she rounded the corner into her bedroom to retrieve another sweater, since the one she had on was stained. "Time to get up, get going!" The girls were already up, dressed, and sitting in their highchairs in the kitchen, so all that was left was Ichigo. When no sound was heard from her son she followed up with her ace. "Little boys who don't get to school on time don't get to see their uncle on his birthday!"

Masaki smiled when she heard the sound of frantically scampering feet stomping around, just as expected. If ever Ichigo was being difficult all she had to do was threaten a visit with Renji and she was golden. She shook her head in amusement, sometimes she swore her son loved his uncle more then her. Truthfully, she wasn't sure what she would do if she had to follow through on one of those threats. Ichigo, so far, hadn't tested her resolve.

She had just finished pulling a sweater over her head when she noticed Ichigo run past her bedroom door in a blur of orange hair. "Hey, hey, wait a moment." She called out to him. He reappeared in the doorway with a questioning look on his face. "Don't forget this." She said as she pulled a small pendant off of her bureau and clasped the chain around his neck.

"Aww, Mom. Why do I hafta?" He whined, his little fingers fiddling with the plain looking disc of metal as he looked down. It was rather small and there were letters carved on it in a language he did not recognize. "None of the other boys wear these necklaces."

"Ichigo, it was a gift from your Father." She said with finality. When she noticed he wasn't satisfied with that answer she sighed and squat down in front of him. "You know, it makes me happy when you wear it. Will you do it for me?" She asked with her best hopeful smile. He smiled back at her brightly and threw his arms around her neck, nodding.

"Telephone." Ichigo said distractedly after he pulled away, fiddling with the pendent again.

Her brow furrowed questioningly. "Wha-"

A shrill ring caught her off guard causing her to jump, startled. Ichigo giggled at her reaction, looking at her with mischievous eyes. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder and smiled with a quiet "brat" on her lips before corralling him out into the hallway. After instructing him to get his and his sisters' coats, she finally picked up the incessant phone from the hallway table.

"Hello?" She asked politely.

"Found you." Said a smooth voice that sent a chill down her spine so cold it stole her breath. She knew this voice, it was _his_ voice.

Quickly checking to make sure her children were out of earshot, Masaki turned her attention back to the man on the phone. "How did you get this number?" She asked in a stern, hushed tone. While her voice may have sounded steady, she could feel her hands starting to shake.

"Oh? Don't tell me you thought you could hide out forever." The man asked casually. "Masaki, I thought you were the smart one. With Isshin gone, the effects of that little charm is slowly fading away. It won't protect Ichigo much longer."

"Listen to me you prick," the words dripped with so much venom she could practically taste it on her tongue. The pure hatred in her voice twisted it so that she could hardly recognize it as her own. Masaki gripped the edge of the table, her anger flaring to the point that the wood began to cover over in a layer of frost, "if you ever lay a hand on my son-"

"You will what?" He asked, his tone no longer playful. "You can be a bit... _cold_ sometimes, but you are no match for me. You are nothing but a fly I can swat anytime I wish it." With every cruel word spoken, Masaki could feel the temperate beneath her fingertips drop below freezing and quickly continue down farther... farther... "I have waited nearly a century and I can wait a couple more years for that protection to wear off. Rest assured, I will have what I want and there is nothing you can do!"

With a quick flick of her finger, Masaki hung up the phone and ran her hands through her hair. That man was toying with her, she knew it. There was no reason to call her accept to cruelly prove how helpless she was without Isshin, that she couldn't do anything even if she knew it was coming. With a surge of desperation, she slammed her fist down onto the frozen tabletop which shattered as easy as glass beneath the force. She looked down at the mess of wooden table bits on the floor and let the anger drain from her. As often as she would point out her limitations to Renji, Masaki wasn't without the power to protect her family. However, that man was more then powerful and she really was helpless against him.

"Mommy?"

Masaki looked over at Ichigo who stood stunned and nervous in the living room. Stepping over the broken table, she quickly scooped the boy up into a tight embrace. Her hands shook with fear and rage as she clutched her son closer to her, as close as she could without hurting him.

"Mommy." He asked as he pulled back to look her in the eye. "Is everything ok?"

She had to blink back tears at the evident concern in Ichigo's gaze. It wasn't a concern for her violent outburst or for himself, but a deep concern for his mother's well being that was beyond his years. In that moment, she conceded to the fact that she needed an ally. Masaki swore that when she saw Renji the next day, she would tell him everything.

"Yes, Ichigo." She said resolutely. "Everything will be alright."

XoxoxoX

Renji stared ahead with glassy eyes as he made a fruitless attempt at paying attention in his Contemporary Politics class. It wasn't that he didn't care about the recent collapse of the Shiba Clan or the remaining noble families and how it effects the political and militant structure of Soul Society... okay maybe he really didn't care, but that was beside the point. The reason he was having difficulty concentrating was because there was no intonation in the lecturer's voice. It was all he could do to keep from falling asleep from the monotony.

"Abarai-san." The teacher called to him sternly. Renji jolted in his seat and scrambled to his feet.

"Yes Takana-sensei!" He replied, feeling heat rise to his face. Around him, many of his classmates made poor attempts to hide their amusement, some hiding chuckles behind their hands or books.

"Glad to see you're still with us." The dull man said humorlessly once the commotion died down. "Now maybe you could tell the class Chamber 46's new regulations regarding Marked Ones."

"Well... um, the Mar-O' are part Arrancar, part Soul and got their name because they have color marks or patterns on their body." Renji began, but the slight tick in his teacher's brow told him he was not answering the question. "Uh, anyone born a Mar-O' has to be registered with the Government and has to check in every, um, two years. Also, they are barred from voting and entering Politics."

"Those are some of the older laws, Abarai. If you were paying attention to current affairs you would know that new additions were added." Takana said in exasperation. "Miss, in the front row with the dark hair, explain what Abarai left out."

"The new laws were instated because of a violent terrorist attack a few years back." Said a rather small girl, she bit her lip lightly before continuing. "Marked Ones are now barred from any leadership positions and are no longer granted permission to join the Royal Guard or Law Enforcment in the Rukongai and any Mar-O' currently in those positions are to be stripped of their titles. They are, also, required to wear identity tags at all times."

"Thank you miss, that was the correct response." Just as the teacher was about to restart his lecture the girl very bravely, in Renji's opinion, interrupted him.

"I would like to add, sensei, that I think that these laws are premature and, frankly, outrageous." A murmur spread through the lecture hall as the teacher simply stared in surprise. Renji expected the girl to sit back down meekly, but instead she leveled her teacher and classmates with a remarkably intimidating glare before straightening her back and raising her head. "The investigation into the attack that took down part of Division Twelve isn't conclusive and hasn't even finished yet, and while there were Mar-O' involved there was no indication that they planned it. Also, no one took ownership or gave any message to suggest that a Mar-O' group co-ordinated an attack on the military in revenge or malice. And yet that's what everyone seems to believe! This whole thing is ridiculous!"

The teacher was completely floored by the outburst and the whole class broke out into garbled conversation over the young girl's declaration.

"I can't believe she would say..."

"She is delusional."

"...may have a point."

"I heard some Mar-O' look normal."

"Eh? Now that's a scary thought."

"They could be any where."

"...anyone."

"...all have anger problems..."

"That can't be true."

"...violent..."

"...dangerous..."

"Sensei! I have to say I agree with her." Renji shouted above all the noise, startling the class back into silence. While most of the kids stared at him incredulously, some wore relieved or agreeing expressions. "It shouldn' even be called a terrorist attack if no evidence has been found yet or if responsibility hasn't been claimed."

"Are you stupid!?" A boy two rows behind Renji proclaimed. "If it wasn't a terrorist attack then what was it?"

"I don' know." Renji replied. "But terrorists usually can' wait to tell everyone what they did and why, so it just doesn' seem like one."

"It doesn't even matter 'cuz Mar-O' are dangerous and need to be controlled." Another girl with blonde hair responded. "They are-"

"Idiot!" Cried the dark haired girl at the front. "You only think they're dangerous because you're scared and only listen to rumors."

"They don't even belong here!" The boy behind him shouted

"Yes they do!" Renji roared, now truly affronted. "They may be part Arrancar, but they are part Soul too! Just like us!"

"How dare you even compare..." The blonde girl started before slamming her fists on the table top. "They're all criminals! And most criminals are Mar-O'!"

Renji laughed loudly at that one. The girl in question was very clean cut and held herself with an Aristocratic air, she had probably never spent a day of her life on the real world. He couldn't even take her comment seriously! "I'm from the Rukon mountains." Renji started, know his home town's reputation. "I've seen criminals. Not one of them was Mar-O'."

While the girl pouted, the boy behind him snorted. "And you're supposed to be one of those charity cases going into the Guard? How sad."

"Oi!" Renji shouted getting up out of his seat to tower over the other boy.

"Silence!" Takana-sensei bellowed and slammed his fist against the table, finally regaining his composure. "This is not a debate class. You are here to learn the rules and follow them! Now all of you take your seats!" He finished, face red, cheeks puffing, brows twitching, and some wisps of hair fluttering about his bald head. Renji tried to hold it in, but he just couldn't help himself...

He laughed.

"That is it! You!" He said pointing to Renji. "And you!" Now pointing to the small girl in the front row. "Get out now!"

Renji had half a mind to protest, but decided it would be best not to. While many of his friends may call him an idiot, he was far from stupid and he wasn't about to antagonize his teacher any farther. The two jettisoned students quietly collected their things and left the room.

Now standing out in the hall together Renji noticed that she wasn't just small, the girl was tiny. Her head just barely reached his chest and her black hair flipped at the ends in a way that made her seem very young. A light blush rose on her cheeks, and Renji realized that he had been staring.

"Well, that was a little crazy, huh?" Was his awkward icebreaker. He slung his bag over his shoulder, dislodging the traditional keiko-gi he wore, before extending a hand in greeting. "I'm Renji Abarai."

Of all the things Renji expected in reply, it was not a hard kick to the shin. "Idiot!" She said as Renji hopped around on a foot, grasping his stinging shin and hoping it would stop soon. "I was doing fine on my own. You made it worse."

"Ah, that hurt y'know!" Renji righted himself and stood toe to toe with her, looking _down_. She simply crossed her arms over her chest and met his eye stubbornly and the red head could feel himself smirk in response. He was gonna like this one. "You could say 'thank you'."

"For what?"

"Backing you up, o'course." Renji replied.

"I didn't need your help!" She growled. "Especially not the half hearted kind."

"Who said it was half hearted? What if I actually believe what I said?" She looked a little bit less aggravated then before, so Renji thought it was a good idea to restart the introduction. "Let's try this again... I'm Renji Abarai."

"... I'm Rukia." She answered, stepping away from him some.

"Rukia..."

"Nothing. Just Rukia."

"No last name? Ah! I get it, you're an orphan." Renji surmised, but Rukia only walked away, heading back down the hallway. "Oi!" He said as he ran to catch up with the small girl. "I didn' mean that as an insult, it just makes sense, y'know, why you got so heated up over the Mar-O'."

Rukia stopped where she was and turned back to Renji, giving him an assessing look before a small smile spread across her lips. "Yeah, most of the kids I lived with are Mar-O'. That's why I can't stand to listen to others degrade them." Folding her hands behind the back of her head, she continued. "Sure a couple of them are quick-tempered brats, but most of them are just like everyone else." Suddenly, her smile turned softer, more wistful and very sad. "And Kaien was one of the kindest people I have ever met."

"Yeah... so, how long have you been at this school?" He said, trying to steer the topic away from whatever land-mine he had accidentally stepped on. "You look pretty young."

They had fallen into an amiable conversation so quickly from the open hostility earlier, that Renji was a little surprised. He didn't normally get along with people so easily, not because he wasn't a social person or was guarded and secretive, but because he came off as imposing and gruff to those who didn't know him well. It was just the person he was, seemingly rough till you get past the surface. The way he looked, tall, serious, and solid with wild, long, flaming red hair, didn't help either. He supposed he made people nervous and defensive. However, this Rukia girl didn't seem fazed by him at all.

"Yep, I'm fourteen." Rukia answered with a wide grin. "This is my first year here."

"Fourteen!?" Renji said in surprise. "Sorry, it's just the way you speak, you seem a lot older."

"I've been told that before, too." Was her proud answer. "I got the doctors permission to be here and everything."

"Huh, no kiddin'? Well, I'm graduatin' in a few weeks myself. In fact, I turn nineteen tomorrow."

"No way, you're almost an adult?" She laughed snidely. "I would never have guessed with the way you act."

"Hey!" Renji's brow ticked a little in exasperation. "Well, at least I'm not a midget."

"Midget! Why you-"

"Abarai-san?" A soft, polite, yet stern voice interrupted the two teens' word play.

Renji looked up, startled, at the older man standing in the hall. Like most of the faculty and students at the Academy, he wore hakama and gi, though his hakama was black, instead of blue or red which denoted male and female students or gray for the teachers, marking his status as an employee in the administrative offices. He quirked an eyebrow at the man, wondering why he would be searching for him. Perhaps Takana-sensei had sent an Impulse Butterfly, which was the preferred way for Shifters to send messages quickly between departments or divisions, to let the administrators know that he'd been disruptive in class today. Though, if that were the case, then why was Renji the only one being called on when both he and Rukia were kicked out.

"That's me." He finally answered.

"Could you come with me?" The older man asked. Eyeing Rukia in discernment, he added, "In private, of course."

"Uh... yeah." Renji said, suddenly feeling nervous. "I'll see you later, Rukia."

"See you next class." She waved as he and the still unnamed administrator walked down the hallway and turned out of sight.

Renji followed the man through the maze of hallways and down two flights before they stopped at a door on the first floor. 'Counselor Jyuu Sei' was carved delicately on the golden plaque that hung on the otherwise unassuming door. That nervousness was now forming a solid ball in the pit of his stomach as Renji tried not to think about why a school Counselor would call on him personally. His hands began to perspire as he sat in one of the guest chairs and Jyuu-sensei took the seat opposite of him.

_'Is it a bad sign that he didn' take a seat behind his desk?'_ Renji wondered absentmindedly.

"I'm afraid there is no easy way to say this," he started with a serious yet sorry expression on his age-lined face that made the red head's heart clench, "but there has been an accident at your home in Rukongai."

Renji felt the air leave him in a rush like he'd been sucker-punched and his mind went blank. Staring down at his hands, fisted on his knees, he heard Jyuu-sensei continue.

"We don't know any of the details, but your family was transferred to the trauma center in Echoing Tree... That's a twelve hour train ride through Empty Seat."

He was registering what the Counselor said, but it was as if the sound was flowing through a long tunnel, muted and distant.

"Abarai-San?" Renji raised his head and made eye contact with the man across from him. Though he looked sympathetic, those eyes held a hard and coaxing edge. "Is there anyone we can contact? An adult in your family who can make medical decisions or help you and your sister's family?"

Giving the question some thought, Renji looked back down to his lap. There were three people still alive related to him, but that didn't make them family. His mother had two younger sisters and an older brother. Renji had never met nor seen any photos of his Uncle and he didn't even know his name, he could walk past the man on the street and not know any better. His Aunts had disowned he and Masaki's mother when Renji was only five, so they were long estranged from his life. Even if he did know where they were or how to contact them, he was sure they wouldn't help.

"No." Renji answered quietly as he felt an overwhelming weight land on his shoulders. "It's just me."

XoxoxoX

Anyone looking at the red head staring out the window of the train would probably think that he was bored and thoughtless. They had no idea the storm brewing in his mind; that he had to keep thinking distracting thoughts to not breakdown, and that he had to count every breath to make sure the tightness in his chest wasn't suffocating him. Renji had watched as the scenery before him changed from the tall, modern buildings and clean streets of the Seireitei to the lush, green landscape of Empty Seat as he headed north into Rukongai. The valley was expansive and fertile with a temperate climate, making it the only area of Soul Society capable of producing a wide variety of vegetation and was their sole source of agriculture. However, the mouth of Empty Seat opened straight into the desert of Hueco Mundo. In fact, the original purpose for the erection of the Seireitei by the warrior clans and first Soul King many centuries ago had been to protect the vulnerable, highly valuable valley and the only invasion point of the Rukon Mountains from enemy forces. This was why the vast majority of the Royal Guard was located there. Now, though, after many decades of peace and cease fire between the Souls and Arrancar, the Seireitei had become an affluent corner of Soul Society, and more and more of the wealth and leadership left the Rukongai for the beautiful visage, warm climate, and the security of its high walls.

Renji let his head fall against the glass as he allowed his mind to wander to the odd historic facts. It was better then the alternative, and he did not relish the idea of breaking down on a packed train full of strangers. The sun was setting now, and the glare caught his eye, shifting Renji's attention to the calm lake that was a little less the a mile from the tracks. Serenity was what the lake was called for its still, deep waters that reflected the image of the mountain, whose base it sat at, perfectly, giving it the name Mirrored Mountain and the city built along its shores Mirror Field City. It was the largest of two bodies of water in Empty Seat and was the half way point between the Seireitei and the back end of Empty Seat. The back end was where he was heading, to Echoing Tree, the major city of Rukongai. He had so much longer to go.

Letting out a sigh, Renji closed his eyes as fatigue began to set in. It had been a long, emotion filled day, from the fierce argument he'd had in class that morning to the friendly banter between him and his young classmate to the bottom dropping out of his world. His teeth grit in frustration as he recalled how hesitant the hospital had been to give him information on his family while he was making a mad dash to pack his belongings. The most Renji could get out of them was that his nieces were fine, but Masaki and Ichigo were still in surgery. He knew that they were holding out on him because he was still a minor, and that was the most aggravating part, after all it was merely hours before he was a legal adult and the technicality was killing him. Renji inhaled deeply, allowing his mind to go blank and trying to rid himself of the anger and anxiety lodged in his chest. His family would be fine, they had to be, he couldn't be that unlucky in this life. With that thought, darkness swept over him and carried him down into sleep.

The loud whistle of the train as it came into the station startled Renji awake. For a moment, he was confused and didn't know where he was, but that soon lapsed as he jumped from his seat and grabbed his bags from the over head compartment before following the crowd of people off the train into the cool, late night air. He checked his watch and noted that it was past 10pm. It was late, but he needed to get to the hospital and check in on his family, he couldn't even consider doing anything else right now. Waving down a taxi, he told the driver where to go.

"I'm looking for the Kurosaki family!" Renji shouted at the woman sitting at the counter in the emergency room before she could ask. "The were transferred here from Hanging Dog earlier today!"

"Sir." The nurse answered calmly and politely. "Visiting hours are over, you're going to have to come back tomorrow."

Renji just barely held himself back from grabbing the woman by the collar of her scrubs and shaking her violently. Instead, he took a deep breath and said, "Look lady, I ain' a 'visitor'. I'm their only next of kin."

"Oh, I'm sorry." She replied with surprise. "Do you know where they were transferred?"

"They were transferred to this hospital!" Renji exclaimed in exasperation, he could feel his eyebrow tick a little in frustration.

"I'm sorry, sir." Was her placating responses. He assumed by her calm, controlled demeanor that she was use to this and far worse. "What I meant was what part of the hospital? And when, as well?"

"Um..." He thought as he tried to remember the brief, foggy conversation he had with Jyuu Sei earlier. "The trauma center was all I was told. That was this mornin'."

"Okay, then they are probably either post-op or ICU, depending. I'll call and check."

Truthfully, Renji was a little surprised that a nurse in the emergency room was giving him personal attention and wondered if, maybe, it was because he looked young and scared. He backed away from the desk a little and checked the lobby, finding it to be extraordinarily quiet for a major trauma center. On second thought, she may have been giving him attention because she was bored.

"Sir?" He turned back to the nurse. "Are you Renji Abarai?"

"Yes."

"Then Doctor Murakawa is expecting you. You want to take the elevators at the end of this hallway to the third floor."

Renji nodded curtly and walked down the hall. Half way to the elevator, he paused. He felt bad about how rudely he'd treated the woman when she had been nothing but polite and patient with him. Turning back he gave a formal bow.

"Thank you." He said sincerely before continuing on his way.

When he ended up on the third floor, Renji found himself in a similar situation as before, talking to a receptionist behind the circular desk and trying to find out what happened to his family.

"Renji Abarai?" He was stopped mid sentence as a kind, but quiet voice called his name. Turning around, Renji saw an older woman in a long, white coat with clear, soft blue eyes, greying, wheat colored hair and a gentle smile on her face. He simply nodded in answer, suddenly not feeling as brave and brash as before. "I'm Doctor Murakawa. Come with me, please."

He followed her to a quiet area where they both took a seat. "Masaki... My sister.." He began hesitantly, not knowing where to start or what to ask.

The doctor looked at him gently. "I'm sorry." She said, and Renji now truly hated that word. His breath hitched in his chest, praying the next words would be _'We made a mistake, she is fine, nothing happened to her!' _even though he knew that wasn't what was coming. "Your sister didn't make it."

Renji felt the world tilt a little as dizziness washed over him. Had he not been sitting already, he probably would have collapsed. His body began to shake as he leaned back in the seat, resting his head against the wall and closing his eyes in an attempt to steady himself. A cold sweat broke out across his skin and he had to swallow down the bile rising in his throat. Masaki was gone. Just like that. No goodbyes. The last time he saw her he'd done little more then mutter a 'see ya later'. Renji felt like he'd betrayed her in some way. He was ungrateful and didn't even listen to her plea not to enter the Guard, wanting him to stay closer to home, to remain safe. He should have made sure _she_ was safe. He felt angry, selfish, and petty.

"H-how?" He heard himself stutter, trying to hold back the anger threatening to spill out.

"Severe blunt force trauma. I was told it was an explosion, but wasn't told the details. I'm sure the authorities will contact you about it soon."

_Explosion_. Renji couldn't even begin to fathom that answer. Then, another thought snapped in his mind, causing him to suppress his emotions and jolt forward in his seat. "My nieces and nephew..."

"You're nieces are fine. Karin has a broken wrist, but Yuzu came away with little more then some scratches and bruises. It was nothing short of a miracle." Her smile turned a little wistful as she added. "They won't let go of each others hands. Fortunately they didn't need to be separated for treatment. I didn't have the heart to make them let go."

Renji sighed and nodded in response before turning away and swallowing again. "Ichigo?"

Dr. Murakawa pursed her lips before answering. "He survived surgery and, thankfully, is breathing on his own. That's a good sign." She paused before continuing. "But I don't want to give you false hope." With that, Renji's eyes shot to hers with alarm. "Ichigo suffered severe blunt force trauma to his head, which fractured his skull, and spinal fracture. On top of that, it took too long to get him into surgery, even being air lifted. With the extent of the head trauma and the delay of treatment, its possible he won't wake up."

It was suddenly very difficult to breathe. Taking a couple of deep breaths, he asked, "And if he wakes up?"

"Best case scenario... He'll be paralyzed, possibly paraplegic. Worst case scenario... He will be completely unresponsive." The doctor looked the devastated young man in front of her over before adding, "The extent of brain damage is not something a doctor can predict no matter how well we can read internal energy."

"Are you sayin' Ichigo could be fine?" Renji asked shakily.

"I'm saying I'm cautiously hopeful, after all, he is breathing on his own."

Renji nodded in understanding as he tried to take everything in. It was simply too much to absorb at once and he felt shocked, horrified and confused all at the same time.

"Hey," Dr. Murakawa got his attention, "how about you go see your nieces now?"

"They're here?"

"Yes, when I heard you were on your way, I delayed Child Services from taking them. I thought it would be best for them to see you and not a stranger."

"Thanks." Renji breathed. He was grateful that the woman had thought that far ahead. Also, he knew that it was her way of asking if he would be taking care of the girls instead of turning them over. "I would like that."

With that, he followed the woman down the hallway to a room that had been vacant and unneeded for the night. Dr. Murakawa silently left Renji at the doorway to give him some privacy with Karin and Yuzu. Renji simply stared at the two girls sitting on the same bed in the small, white room. Despite how late it was and how tired they must have been, neither of the twins were asleep and he could hear slight sniffling noises. Taking a deep breath, he stepped into the room and walked up to the bed.

"Uncle Renji!" Yuzu cried as she broke into deep, wailing sobs, reaching out to him with her free arm.

Renji didn't hesitate to wrap both three-year-olds into a warm, tight embrace, feeling his eyes burn as he held back his own emotions. Right now, he needed to be strong for them, not worry them more with his own hysterics. He was careful with Karin's sling as he shifted to sit on the bed with the girls in his lap.

"Shhhh." He whispered soothingly as he rubbed a hand along Yuzu's back, rocking slightly. The joined, balled fists were resting on his chest and he remembered the doctor saying something about them not letting go. Curiously, Renji fiddled with their hands, moving the toddlers' fingers slightly.

"No!" Karin suddenly shrieked and jumped away from her uncle's hold, startling both he and Yuzu. "Ichi-nii said 'don't let go 'till I come back'!"

"Bro'er said 'don't let go'." Yuzu affirmed softly, tears still falling down her face.

"He said he was coming back... He was coming back with mommy..." Tears started to roll down Karin's face as her breath came in short pants. "He... s-said... 'don't let go'!" And with that, the darker haired twin fell back into Renji's arms and sobbed alongside her sister.

Renji's mind reeled at the outburst. Karin thought that as long as they still held hands Ichigo was coming back, that any minute he'd be brining Masaki into the room and everything would be fine. He didn't know what to say. How do you tell a three-year-old that their mother was dead? That their brother might not be coming back? He, honestly, didn't know what to say, so he simply said nothing and continued to rock the twins and give them soft words of comfort until they fell asleep.

Carefully, Renji laid the girls back on the bed and tucked them in. Just as he was about to get up and leave, something caught his eye. Between Karin and Yuzu's now slightly separated hands was something small and it glimmered in the soft light. He picked it up and examined it a little closer. It was a small pendent on a chain, about the size of a shirt button, and Renji could see carvings gouged into the soft gold but couldn't decipher any meaning from it. He rubbed a thumb across its surface and felt a quick jolt of energy run through his hand, almost causing him to drop the thing in shock. This was...

Suddenly, a picture formed in his head of what must have happened before the explosion. Renji stiffly rose from the bed and made his way back out into the hallway. He felt stunned by his epiphany, but it was the only thing that made logical sense.

"Abarai-San?" He looked up at Dr. Murakawa where she stood with a clipboard in her hands, obviously doing her rounds. "Are you alright?"

Renji huffed as he rubbed the back of his neck tiredly. "Yeah... Can I see Ichigo now?"

The doctor hesitated a moment before nodding her head in response. "You can stay in the room with him tonight as well, if you would like."

"Thank you." Was his simple response.

Renji felt the world tipping again as he walked through the door to a room similar to the one he had left Karin and Yuzu in. Ichigo was laid out on the bed surrounded by wires and IV tubes, making the young boy look small and vulnerable. His head was wrapped in gauze and Renji could see some swelling and bruising on the side of his nephews face. Falling into the chair beside the bed, afraid to sit on the bed itself and disrupt the complicated looking system there, Renji leaned back before his hands fell open. Resting in his palm was the small, mysterious pendent he had taken from the twins.

"I know what you did. What this is." He said to Ichigo's sleeping form. "You knew it too, didn' you?" Renji hung the pendent between two fingers and his thumb before continuing. "It's a protection charm. A one way mirror of sorts, creatin' an invisible barrier around a person to protect them from harmful or aggressive energy shifts while not inhibitin' their own ability to shift energy. It's a lost art and workin' ones are rare and hard to come by. How on earth did you get somethin' like this?"

Stopping in his monologue a moment, he looked at Ichigo's sleeping form. Renji wasn't sure if he thought he was going to get a response out of him, and he chuckled a little at his own absurdity.

"You knew the explosion was comin', didn' you? And when you noticed, you gave this to Karin and Yuzu and then left to find your mom and warn her." He voice became thick with emotion as he continued. "You risked your life to protect your sisters... How does a kid your age even think of that?" Tears started to roll down Renji's cheeks as what he was saying actually hit him. "Karin and Yuzu... are fine... they're safe..." He got up from his seat, leaned over the bed and gently clasped the necklace around Ichigo's neck, not caring if it was against hospital policy or not. "It's your turn to be safe." Renji said softly and left a gentle kiss on his nephew's forehead.

Sitting back down in the chair, Renji placed his elbows on his knees and cradled his head in his hands. For the first time that day, he cried for his sister, for his nephew, for his nieces, and for himself. It was well past midnight, he was now nineteen years old; his sister died, and he had just inherited three young children, one of which would most likely be permanently disabled.

_'Happy Birthday,'_ Renji thought bitterly.

XoxoxoX

Okay, that was this chapter. Rukia will disappear for awhile now, sorry for anyone hoping to see more of them together, but she plays an important roll in future parts so she will be back. Please let me know what you think, or if you like where its headed, or if you think I'm a sadist.

Thank you.


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